Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 624

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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But Kale Heniatus had no time to dwell on the chill creeping down his spine.

-Human! A carriage!

Kale’s pupils trembled.

“Young Master! Please ride in this!”

A Knight appeared from somewhere, leading soldiers and pulling a carriage along with them.
It bore the seal of House Heniatus.

‘…It’s far too ornate.’

Severely, extraordinarily ornate—that was this carriage.
Why in the world was such a carriage stationed near the City Wall?
Without thinking, Kale glanced at the Knight, and he responded to that gaze without hesitation.

“The Lord had this carriage crafted for his journey to the Capital, but Lady Viollan requested we create an even more magnificent carriage to better display the Seca Estate’s grandeur, so this one has been kept here as a spare.”

In other words, they had created something even more extravagantly ornate than this already excessive carriage, and that one was currently en route to the Capital with Duke Derth inside it.
Kale’s mouth fell open.

“…Anyone who sees this will certainly think the Lord possesses considerable wealth.”
“Hahahaha! Isn’t that the truth? The Territory was already prosperous, and having accumulated wealth across generations, it’s naturally quite substantial!”

The Knight agreed without any sense of concern.
Then he opened the carriage door.

“Please, allow me to escort you at once! Young Master!”

Blink, blink.
Kale’s eyes fluttered. At that moment, Choi Han’s voice reached him.
Currently, Choi Han, Ron, Vicross, and the nine-year-olds were accompanying Kale.

“Kale. Over there—”

Choi Han’s words trailed off.
Kale Heniatus looked in the direction Choi Han’s hand indicated.

Just moments before—the contingent of soldiers who had entered the castle ahead of Kale Heniatus before he stepped onto the City Wall had halted their march and were now approaching swiftly in perfect formation.

“Hmm. Hilsman.”
“Young master!”

Now that I looked closer, the knight leading the troops was indeed Hilsman.
He was the Vice Knight Commander who had accompanied me on my first journey to the Capital, and he knew me and my companions well.

“Young master! *Sob*!”

And the moment he saw me, he wept.

‘What? Why is he like this?’

I took a step back, bewildered.
Hilsman, regardless, dismounted his horse and rushed toward me in a panic.

“Young master! In such a wretched, ghastly, no—such a sorrowful state! *Sob, sob*!”

To my eyes, Hilsman appeared consumed by overwhelming grief, no matter how I looked at him—forward, backward, or inside out.

“Thank heavens you’ve returned safely!”

Hilsman suppressed his sobs, though his eyes were bloodshot and glistening, and spoke in a trembling voice, his fists clenched tightly.

“As expected of you, young master—I knew you would overcome even God’s trials! Have you not always been devoted to protecting this Territory, the Kingdom, and indeed the entire East-West Continent?”

I was at a loss for words.
Despite his pallid complexion, Hilsman seemed to see in my stoic gaze the endurance and suffering that lay beneath.
Of course, that was merely his own interpretation.

“Though I could not stand by your side and witness it, I understand everything! How much you have suffered and struggled through those agonizing days to achieve such a noble purpose!”

…Was surviving a noble purpose?
That thought suddenly crossed my mind.
And I made a decision.

‘I should speak up.’

My intention was to say I was unemployed.
Perhaps that would have shifted this atmosphere somewhat.
But Hilsman didn’t give me the chance.

“I shall!”

Hilsman tapped his own shoulder.

“No, rather, our soldiers!”

He then spread his arms wide, gesturing behind him. Soldiers with solemn expressions stood arrayed there.

“Our territory’s people! We shall escort the young master all the way to the Seca Estate!”
Wooooo—
Waaaaaah—

Following his declaration came the soldiers’ roars and the cheers of the territory’s people.
Even amid the commotion, they gazed upon Kale Heniatus’s composed expression, marveling at his unwavering demeanor.

Of course, Kale was genuinely flustered and had simply frozen in place.

“Young master.”

I felt goosebumps rise once more at Ron’s gentle, kind words as I slowly made my way toward the carriage.
Starting with Kale, the group members boarded the carriage one by one.

“…Damn it—”

I covered my face with both hands.

“The young master is always so easily embarrassed, hahahaha!”

Hilsman closed the carriage door with a hearty laugh, then mounted his horse and began escorting Kale’s carriage alongside the soldiers.

Clack. Clack.
The carriage rolled smoothly toward the Seca Estate.
The cheers from outside grew louder and louder.
Peering through a gap in his fingers, Kale caught glimpses of the territory’s residents pulling what looked like flower petals from baskets and scattering them.
I had no idea how they’d managed to procure such things in November.

-Hehehehe! Everyone’s so happy a human has come! I’m happy too!
“Meow! It’s like a festival!”
“Meow. How delightful!”

…I sighed.
Kale swallowed the breath.

* * *

The moment Kale arrived at the Seca Estate and stepped down from the carriage, he could see Viollan, the Duchess, waiting for him.

“I have returned.”

Viollan, who had been watching him greet her calmly, slowly opened her mouth.

“Good. Welcome home.”

Then she turned and headed toward the Mansion. As Kale watched her retreating figure, her voice reached his ears.

“How long will you be staying?”
“If nothing unexpected happens, I plan to sleep here tonight and leave in the morning. I need to settle the White Star matter quickly.”

Both their voices were matter-of-fact.
Viollan stopped walking and asked.

“And after that?”
“I’ll naturally have to return home.”
“Here?”
“Yes. I plan to move back and forth between here and the Villa.”
“Within the Heniatus Territory, then.”
“Yes.”

Kale Heniatus gazed at the back of Duchess Viollan, her hair pinned up with meticulous care.
Not a single strand was out of place—everything remained perfectly arranged.
Kale studied her for a long moment.
Viollan’s voice reached him again.

“That will do.”

Kale approached her side as she answered with indifference.
Together, they headed toward the mansion’s entrance.
He spoke casually as they walked.

“Take care of your health while you work. Eat well, sleep well. It’s a matter of great importance.”
“I wish I could say the same to you.”
“There’s no need to strain yourself.”
“Those are words I wish to tell you.”

Kale paused for a moment before speaking.

“Where are Basen and Lily?”
“Basen is handling paperwork, and Lily is training with the soldiers outside the castle. Basen has likely already heard, and Lily should have learned of your arrival by now.”
“What is Father doing in the Capital?”
“What you normally do.”
“What I normally do?”
“Turning the Royal Palace upside down.”
“Ah.”

Kale was left speechless and stared at Duchess Viollan.
A smirk played at the corners of her lips.
She continued walking, her gaze fixed ahead.

“Kale.”
“Yes.”

The mansion door creaked open slowly.
She spoke as the door swung wide.
She continued speaking as she watched the door open.

“As for gods and Rowan and such—if they become a burden to you, disregard them. You don’t need such trivial things.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth.
She walked forward without once glancing at my expression.

The door creaked open with a sharp bang.
And through the gap—

“Brother!”

Basen came rushing out in a flustered hurry.

“Basen. Guide Kale to his room, would you? I have work to attend to.”
“Yes? Ah, of course!”

Duchess Viollan redirected her steps toward the Lord’s Castle rather than the mansion.
Only then did I realize she had walked alongside me all the way here to greet my arrival.
And now, at last, Viollan looked back at me.

“Rest well.”

Her voice was dry, devoid of any smile, yet I bowed my head slightly as I met her gaze, reading the depths of her eyes.
Sometimes eyes convey far more than words ever could—the truths left unspoken.

“I’ll be going.”

Viollan, too, said nothing more in response to my silent gesture and turned away from us.
I shifted my gaze.
Basen had been watching me intently this whole time, fidgeting nervously without a word.

“Basen. There’s no need for a guide.”

This was my home too, and the mansion hadn’t been rebuilt. A guide was unnecessary.

“Still, I’ll come along!”
“Very well then.”

I nodded indifferently and stepped into the mansion.

“It’s just like always.”

The moment Kale Heniatus entered, Basen offered a quiet smile in response to his observation.
His expression had grown calm.

“There’s no particular reason for things to change, is there?”
“True enough.”

Starting with Ron, Choi Han and Vicross moved in different directions throughout the mansion. Their movements were natural.
Each of them had their own place here.

And unlike the territory residents from before, the people in the mansion greeted Kale as they normally would, showing no special gestures.

They regarded him simply as the lord’s son who had returned from a brief outing elsewhere—composed and matter-of-fact.
This pleased Kale, and he felt it: this was home.
He liked this peaceful atmosphere.
Surely Viollan had cultivated this very atmosphere, understanding his nature as she did.

Kale opened his mouth as he headed toward his room with Basen.

“You don’t seem to be doing well.”
“Pardon?”

When Basen’s shoulders flinched at Kale’s words, Kale had already examined him from head to toe.

“Take care of your health while you work. Proper sleep is essential. And eating well is even more so.”

Basen noticed Kale’s gaze lingering on the cuffs of his sleeves and hastily hid both hands behind his back.

Basen’s sleeves were stained with ink and grimy.
They looked like the sleeves of someone who had been writing for quite some time, accumulating dirt.

And this was indeed the truth.

“Are you busy because of me?”
“No, not at all!”

At Basen’s answer, which came with a sharp intake of breath, Kale asked no further questions.
This was not someone who would answer if pressed.
Instead, Kale asked the visibly hardworking Basen a question.

“You’ve been handling the fiefdom’s affairs for quite some time now. It hasn’t been too difficult, has it?”
“No. It’s not difficult at all!”
“Really?”
“Yes!”

Basen answered without hesitation this time.

“It’s enjoyable! It’s worthwhile work.”
“So managing the fiefdom’s internal affairs suits you well?”
“Yes. Internal governance work suits me better than other duties. That’s why it doesn’t feel difficult.”

Basen wanted to say something more.

That it wasn’t difficult because of his older brother, but because he genuinely enjoyed this work and threw himself into it.
That he was doing his part and that helping this fiefdom felt good to him.

This was undoubtedly the truth.
Basen had longed to work for this fiefdom for a long time.
Together with his older brother and Lily.

Kale recognized that Basen’s words about finding the work enjoyable came from his heart.
Because of this, he paused mid-step and glanced around.

Aside from the average nine-year-old, no one else was present.
It was likely out of consideration for Kale.

Perfect.
I had always felt the need to address certain matters properly at least once.
And since the relevant topic had come up naturally, I thought it best to discuss it now.

“…Older brother?”

Basen looked at Kale with confusion as he suddenly stopped walking.
The usually composed Kale’s eyes seemed more serious than ever.
To anyone watching, Kale appeared to be someone about to speak from the heart.
And as if confirming that thought, Kale’s lips parted.

“Basen.”
“…Yes?”
“You will govern the territory.”

Kale Heniatus observed Basen’s reaction carefully.
But something was wrong with Basen.

“…Brother.”

Basen’s voice trembled.
Kale sensed the oddness and looked at Basen’s face. His pupils were wavering.

“I—”

And Basen had no choice but to be this way right now.

He had heard it from Father and Mother.
Though he hadn’t told Lily, they had urgently shared this with Basen, who was handling the fiefdom’s affairs, saying it was something he would inevitably come to know anyway.

That soon, in Pursulsi, a great battle unseen for nearly several hundred years might unfold.
The House Heniatus’s highest priority there was—

‘To keep Kale alive.’

Mother’s voice echoed in his ears.
Father had spoken as well.

‘Our House Heniatus’s goal is simply to live peacefully and happily.’

There was no need to be recorded in history.
Honor was unnecessary.
Just to live well in the present.

‘As the family head, I must protect that above all else.’

Having heard such words, Basen’s heart sank at Kale’s command to govern the territory.

The great battle that might unfold in Pursulsi.
He said no one could know how many would be wounded or killed.
In that battle, his brother would likely stand at the very forefront.
And that brother had seriously told him to become the Lord.

As if his brother had no need to become Lord himself.
It was as if—

‘My lord, you might die—’

Basen couldn’t even finish the thought.
Kale Heniatus dying after the battle, and he becoming Lord?

“I—”

Basen’s lips trembled as he opened his mouth.
He squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.

“I really hope you come back alive, my lord!”
“Have you been losing sleep from all that work?”
“…What?”

Basen hesitated and repeated the question at Kale Heniatus’s immediate response.

“Why would you say something so obvious?”

Kale Heniatus let out a deflating laugh, speaking casually as if to say there was nothing to worry about.

“Of course I have to live.”
“Then… why did you speak as if you were leaving—”

Basen saw Kale Heniatus’s eyes widen at his words.
Kale Heniatus’s mouth opened urgently.

“Leaving? What are you talking about!”
“…What?”

Kale Heniatus waved his hand dismissively as he looked at the bewildered Basen, as if telling him never to say such things again.

Leave? What nonsense is this!
Why would you abandon such a wealthy household?
Even with all my fortune, more is always better, isn’t it?
Money is never something to turn away from!

I shook my head firmly.

“I simply want to rest near the Dark Forest, in Harris Village. Of course, I’ll visit this mansion frequently.”
“I see.”

I explained my plans to Basen.

“And once this matter with that White Star bastard is finished—only then—I have no intention of wandering about for a while.”

Though I suppose I’ll need to arrange a world tour for the average nine-year-old.
But that’s just ordinary travel, so nothing extraordinary should occur.

“My goal is to live peacefully and quietly.”

Indeed, absolutely.
As I nodded in agreement with my own words, I caught sight of Basen’s face and faltered slightly.
He was beaming with radiance.
His heart swelled at the goal of House Heniatus that had just left my lips.

“Yes, sir! That is a truly wonderful goal!”
“Isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir!”

Seeing Basen’s brightened expression, I smiled contentedly, pleased that my intentions had been conveyed so well.

Meow!
Hong circled around the two of us, caught up in our cheerful mood.

—Everyone looks happy! I’m happy too!

Raon spun through the air in transparent form, circling endlessly.
Only On.
Only On carefully observed the expressions of Kale and Basen as she replayed their conversation in her mind.
Then she shook her head side to side.
On murmured so quietly that no one else could hear.

“…This seems difficult for a hundred years.”

On approached Kale with a sympathetic expression and tapped his foot gently with her front paw.

“Brother, please rest for just one day.”
“That’s what I intend to do.”
“I will prepare a banquet.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Yes.”

The two of them, resuming their walk, were in excellent spirits.
But then it happened.

Wheeeeee—Wheeee–

Kale’s expression hardened.
A sharp sound that engulfed the Mansion, the Lord’s Castle, and indeed all of Raincy.

It was a warning signal announcing enemy infiltration.
A highest-level alert at that.

Kale’s first battle.
It was the same sound that had engulfed the Territory during the Heniatus Territory battle.

“…What is this?”

The White Star? Who is it?
What bastard is touching this place again?
Kale’s face sank into cold fury.

“Kale.”

Choi Han came rushing over in panic.

“Follow me.”

Kale Heniatus immediately changed direction, abandoning his path toward his quarters.
His footsteps turned toward the outside.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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